The Guide to Bed Sizes and Mattress Dimensions

Has your old mattress had its time and desperately needs replacing? Perhaps you are preparing for your baby’s first bed or a student who’s moving into your first college dorm. Whatever the case may be an overlooked and often forgotten issue when purchasing a new mattress is its actual size.

Factors you need to account for include your bedroom size, budget, and how much bed space you need. This guide will describe all mattress sizes available and whether or not it’s an ideal choice for you.

Crib – 27″x 52″

A crib or toddler mattress measures at 27″x52″ and is the ideal size for your baby’s first bed. Initially used for infants, it can also be used as a toddler’s bed lasting a duration of around 18 months. The child’s safety sleeping on the crib is paramount, so mattresses are made firmer than adult mattresses. Firmer mattresses lessen the risk of SIDs or suffocation when an infant rolls onto their stomach.

Similar to adult mattresses foam or innerspring are both suitable and will depend entirely on preference. Lighter cribs, for example, are easier to clean and to manoeuvre. 27×52 inch bed dimensions are considered the standard in the US, ensuring it will fit in any crib you currently own.

Twin – 39″ x 75″

A twin mattress is ideal for the majority of children sleeping throughout their childhood and is also considered the smallest bed for adults. Even though a 39″x75″ mattress will accommodate growth spurts through a child’s adolescent years, it may be necessary to upgrade to a bigger bed. Taller individuals will need a Twin XL bed which gives an extra 5-6 inches in length.

Twin mattresses are slim in size which can be used for bunk-beds or for shared rooms where multiple twin mattresses can sit side by side. They are versatile as they are light to move and don’t require a big space to fit.

Twin XL – 39″ x 80″

A Twin XL mattress is considered the norm for college students who live in dorm rooms. They are long giving the much-needed length for students to sleep and stretch on, taking minimal space and easy to fit. They are, however, not wide and are really meant to accommodate one person at a time.

A Twin XL mattress is a versatile choice as it fits for both children and adults; it is also easily transferable during move-ins.

Full – 54″ x 75″

A Full-size mattress or also referred to as a “Double Bed” measures at 54 by 75 inches and is considered a good compromise between a twin and queen mattress. Ideally, for single sleepers, it can accommodate children, single adults who want their child or pet to sleep alongside them and some couples. It offers considerable width and length for single sleepers but will be cramped for your average couple, more often than not giving an uncomfortable nights sleep.

This is a potential choice for couples on a strict budget with a small sleeping area, but purchasing a Queen size bed would be advisable.

Queen – 60″x80″

Queen beds provide extra width and length in comparison to Full-size beds, making it the perfect option for couples. It also has enough bed length to support taller people and to couples who feel cramped in full-size beds, ensuring a good night’s sleep. Before purchasing a Queen size bed, it is essential to account the living space it will take up once put in place. The mattress will take up considerably more space than a Twin or Full-size bed, which may make a small bedroom appear that much smaller causing restriction.

The majority of master bedrooms, however, will have plenty of space to fit Queen size bed; they are also very popular with a wide range of bedding and materials/styles available. Due to its size, it is considered the most versatile out of all beds.

King – 76″ x 80″

Appropriately named ‘King’, this mattress measures a whopping 76 by 80 inches and should only be purchased if you have plenty of sleeping space. To put its size in perspective, it is the equivalent to 2 twin mattresses which theoretically could fit 3 to 4 adults. It is also ideal for couples who sleep with their kids or pets. As a general recommendation, you should have a room size of at least 12×12 when considering a King Bed. Incidentally, this mattress comes in only split type box strings, making it easier to carry around.

Cal King – 72″ x 84″

A California King size bed is the longest of all mattress sizes in our guide but not the widest, making it an ideal choice for taller sleepers who are over 6 feet tall. Taller sleepers may experience their feet hanging over the bed on mattresses mentioned previously, but with the Cal King, this problem is removed. A California King size mattress is four inches taller than a King bed but losing 4 inches in width; regardless it is still wide enough to accommodate couples and for taller people who wish to have a pet on the bed.

Whether you choose a King or Cal King size will be determined mainly on your height and how many individuals will sleep on the bed. If you’re over 6 feet and want to make sure your feet don’t hang over the bed, then a Cal King is recommended.

If however you regularly have your animals or children on the bed sleeping with you it would be advisable to purchase the wider King-sized bed.